Patnitop : Land of Serenity

(Army Camp)

A couple of days before our journey started, I asked my friend Mousim who is in Indian Army and recently posted in Patnitop, “What’s about the place ?” He smiled, “Can’t explain brother. Just go and feel!”

A few days after, when stepped in there, I lost every explanation. I was muted by its divine silence.

Situated on a picturesque plateau of the great Shivalik Himalaya Range, Patnitop is like one Indian saint engrossed in deep meditation amongst the curves of mountain and lush green forest. So beautiful all around. The pines are standing sky-high. The birds are twittering hither and thither. The brightened clouds are hovering overhead. And the beautiful river Chenab is flowing nearby. So charming. And so quiet. Even one can feel the sound of falling leaves. I can bet anyone who comes here, is guaranteed to fall in love.

General Information 

• Origin of Name : The word ‘Patnitop’ is derived from the phrase  ‘Patan Da Talab’ which means ‘Pond of the Princess’. In past, there was a pond in Patnitop where a certain princess used to bathe. A portion of the pond still exists near the local youth hostel. This ‘Patan Da Talab’ has been distorted in course of time and transformed into today’s ‘Patnitop’.
• Geographic Position : Located on Jammu-Srinagar Highway (National Highway No. 1A) in Udhampur district of Jammu and Kashmir. It is actually between Udhampur and Srinagar. Distance from Jammu is 112 Km and from Udhampur is only 47 Km.
• Altitude : 2024 m.
• Pin Code : 182142
• STD Code : 0191
• Language used : Hindi, Urdu and Kashmiri
• Weather :
•           Summer (March to June) : Temperatur fluctuates from 8^o C to                 20^o C. It is the best time to visit and also Ideal for trekking.
•           Monsoon (July to September) : Quite moderate. But chances of             landslides are there. So better to avoid this season.
•           Winter (November to February) : Temperature remains between             (-)10^o C and 10^o C. The months experience moderate to heavy               snowfall. Best time for skiing and other snow games.
• Best time to visit : April to June

Tourist Attractions 

Patnitop offers beautiful picnic spots, breathtaking views of Himalayan landscape and peaceful walks through nature. For adventure lovers it offers skiing, trekking, camping and aero sports like paragliding, parasailing and hot-air ballooning. Skiing courses are conducted in January and February. For trekking details one can contact local JKTDC office. There are also some renowned tourist spots in and around Patnitop which can be visited hiring a cab.

Snow At Natha Top

• The Naag Temple : Located on a hill top in Mantalai at Krimchi and believed to be one of the oldest temple in Patnitop. Every year during Naag Panchami Festival thousands of pilgrims gather here to celebrate and offer their prayers.
• Kud : Situated at just around 5 km west of Patnitop and is a beautiful small town. The average altitude is around 1855 m. Kud is famous for its traditional sweet patisa (also known as Sohan or Soan Papdi).

Kud

• Madhatop : Situated at about 5 km trekking distance from Patnitop. Altitude is 2024 m. Famous for trekking and skiing. Three fresh water springs with medicinal properties are also located here.
• Natha Top : Natha Top, located at a height of 2758 m and at a distance of 13.8 km west of Patnitop, is a popular tourist spot. It offers grand view of surrounding snow-covered peaks. It is also famous for skiing and paragliding.

Natha Top

• Sanasar : Situated at an height of 2050 m above sea level, Sanasar is comprised of two small villages Sana and Sar and located just 17 km west of Patnitop in Udhampur district on national highway no. 1A. Sanasar is the paradise of sports-adventurists. Paragliding, parasailing, hot-air ballooning, abseiling and rock climbing are conducted here. For golf-lovers a golf course is also there in Sanasar.

Paragliding At Sanasar

• Sudh Mahadev Temple : Believed to be 2800 years old, Sudh Mahadev Temple houses a natural black marble Lingam, the Trishul (Trident) of Lord Shiva and a mace of legendary Pandava Bheema. The temple is 39 km south of Patnitop and is situated at an altitude of 1225 m. Every year at the full moon night of ‘Sawan’ (June – July) a three day festival is held. During the festival, people come in thousands to visit the shrine and worship the Trident and the Mace.
• Shiva Garh : At an altitude of about 3500 m, it is a beautiful tourist destination and located at around 11 km trekking distance from Patnitop.

Apart from Naag Panchami Festival, another festival, called Lohri is also famous here. It is held during Makar Sankranti (January). Lohri is a festival of joy and happiness. Young boys visit the elders and move around the town in colourful sequence and perform the Chhajja dance. One must be lucky to be a part of this festival.

Food  

Apart from the conventional dishes, such as North And South Indian, veg and non-veg, Chinese and continental, one can savour the traditional dishes like patisa of Kud, rajma of Batote and of course Kashmiri Polao, Wazwan, Rogan and Josh.

Shopping 

Shopping list should include Pashmina shawls, Dogra jewellery, Kashmiri handicrafts, wool and silk hand-knotted carpets and dry fruits.

How To Reach 

• By Air : The nearest airport is Jammu airport. From there a taxi will take 3 to 3¹/2 hours and a bus will take around 5 hours to reach Patnitop.
• By Railway : Udhampur is the nearest railway station. Jammu is also the other railway station located near Patnitop. Numbers of buses and taxis available outside the stations to reach the town.
• By Road : Patnitop is well connected with major cities like Jammu (112 km), Udhampur (47 km), Srinagar (184 km), Pathankot (176 km), Katra (80.9 km) and Pahalgam (173 km). Plenty of buses and hired taxis are coming frequently from these places.

Where To Stay 

There is no dearth of accommodation in Patnitop. Numbers of budget and luxurious hotels, resorts, huts and bunglows,  run by government and non-government organisations are available here. Some of them are –

• Hotel Patnitop : NH – 1A, Main Crossing, Patnitop, J & K, Ph. : 09419181590
• Hotel Patnitop Heights : Padora Enclave, near Naag Temple, Patnitop, J & K, Ph. : 01992-287548,
• Vardhan Resorts : Padora Enclave, near Naag Temple, Patnitop, J & K, Ph. : 01992-287525, 287526, 09018194040
• Hotel Greentop : Padora Enclave, near Naag Temple, Patnitop, J & K, Ph. : 01992-287519, 287581
• Hotel Forest View : National Highway, Near Naag Temple, Patnitop, J & K, Ph. : 01992-287567, 9419163002
• Shiva International Cottage : Padora Enclave, Patnitop, J & K, Ph. : 01992-287523, 09419185731
• Hotel Subash Palace : National Highway, near taxi stand, Patnitop, J & K, Ph. : 01992-287516, 287555, 287600, 09419133630
• Hotel Dogra Residency : Kasal Morh, Patnitop, J & K, Ph. : 01992-287575
• Hotel Mount Shivalik : National Highway 1A, Patnitop, J & K, Ph. : 01992-287563
• Shankar Hotel : Main Bazaar, Kud, J & K, Ph. : 01992-288128

For further enquiry in any regard, one may contact :

Tourist Reception Centre

Head Office, Srinagar

Ph. : 0194-2457927, 2457930

Tourist Reception Centre

Vir Marg, Jammu Tawi

Ph. : 0191-2579554